


Level

by blackcoffeeandteardrops



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, Post-Season/Series 11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-04-24
Packaged: 2019-04-27 02:39:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14415876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackcoffeeandteardrops/pseuds/blackcoffeeandteardrops
Summary: "Life was just about as normal as any of them had ever experienced, but old fears were creeping back no matter how hard she tried tamping them down."// Mulder, Scully, and their impossible miracle children, in the not too distant future.





	Level

Weekends were Scully's favorite part of the week. Luckily, Olivia was (for the most part) past the point of waking up at odd hours, and as such she sometimes managed to sleep until daybreak. What's more, weekends generally meant she and Mulder would both be home and they were free to spend the days as they pleased, either lounging about the house or venturing out to the farmer's market or other shops around town.

And then there was William. Or Will, he said, on the rainy morning he showed up on their doorstep several weeks after the events that transpired on the docks. She'd known before they got home that he wasn't dead, had received flashes of him whether he realized he was sending them or not, and for a time it was all she needed. Will, not William, or Jackson for that matter. They'd crowded around the kitchen table and he'd mumbled something about not feeling like Jackson anymore but not being ready to be William, but he was tired and hungry and needed a place to stay, so would they be willing to let him?

Scully didn't look Mulder’s way, already knowing the answer from them both was yes. Still, life hadn't been easy, especially not at first. Their son could hurt people, could do things they'd never imagine, but she knew nothing could make her stop loving him. The words she'd uttered to Mulder on the docks about how he was just an experiment had clawed at her insides, choking her throat like ash. She knew even then that she hadn't meant them, and she hoped desperately that he'd never have to know they'd ever crossed her mind. 

Weeks turned into months. The impossible miracle (the second impossible miracle, she knew) grew inside her. The first took off at times, but stuck around far more often than she'd honestly expected him to, increasingly so as time passed. She wasn't going to complain, of course she wanted him around, but it was almost as if a fragment of him was like smoke curling around her fingers, visible but impossible to grasp. Of all things, the imminent arrival of his sister had driven them all closer. Will had actually helped Mulder put the crib together and had helped paint the nursery. He was making himself useful while burrowing a hole for himself within their lives, a fact which warmed her heart.

It was why on a cool Saturday morning, Scully was surprised to go downstairs and find the first floor of the house empty. 

“Where is everybody?” Scully muttered, rocking an infant Olivia on her hip. She smoothed the hair sticking up on her daughter's scalp, pressing a kiss to her cheek before moving to the backdoor. She slowly pushed the screen door open, watching as Mulder shielded his eyes, waving at her before turning to Dagoo at his side, saying something to get the dog moving faster. “Was Will with you?” she asked as soon as he reached the porch steps.

Mulder shook his head, not altogether concerned as he mopped the sweat from his forehead with a towel he’d tossed over his shoulder. “No, the mutt was full of energy this morning, so I figured we’d take our run early. The kid’s probably still sleeping upstairs. It is Saturday, Scully,” he said, leaning into her side to press a kiss to her lips.

“When I walked down the hall to get the baby, the door was open, and he wasn’t in there,” Scully replied, mild curiosity turning to concern. William had been living with them for the better part of a year full time, and while it had been an adjustment for all involved, they’d reached an understanding that if he ever did take off on a trip, they had to know. “He didn’t wake us. Maybe he left a note?”

Mulder nodded, holding the door open for Scully to step inside. He eyed the fridge, not seeing any sudden notes written by William before he ducked off. He watched as Scully rubbed a soothing hand down their daughter’s back, rocking her slightly as she wandered into the living room in search of any clues the younger man might have left for his whereabouts. “Anything?” he asked, following behind her. 

Scully shook her head, feeling tears pricking her eyes. She rocked more steadily, hoping the movement would help the baby stay at ease. Olivia was still so small, but she was perceptive of feelings, as a lot of babies could be. She pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes and sighing. “Did you see anything when you and Dagoo went for your run? Did you hear anything?”

“No,” Mulder insisted, fishing his phone from his pocket. He tapped the screen a few times, pulling their son’s number up and holding the phone to his ear. “He’s not answering,” he said after reaching William’s voicemail. “Maybe he’s driving? We’ve warned him not to use the phone while driving.”

“Maybe,” Scully replied, doubtful. She recalled the night before, the three of them drifting off while watching some movie after they’d put Olivia to bed. It had been him getting up to turn the TV off that had woken her, but as he turned to go upstairs, all he’d said was goodnight. “Did he say anything to you? Maybe he got called into work. Or went to see friends,” she continued, wanting so badly to believe that whatever had happened had a simple explanation. For so long, they’d collectively held their breaths, waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop, but the anniversary of the events of the dock had passed without anything happening. Life was just about as normal as any of them had ever experienced, but old fears were creeping back no matter how hard she tried tamping them down.

Sensing where her thoughts were headed, Mulder stepped into his space, one hand on her shoulder and the other resting on their daughter’s back. “You ladies stay here in case he turns up. I’m going into town to see if I find anything. It’ll be okay, Scully,” he insisted. As he leaned in to kiss her, Olivia gurgled in protest, smacking her tiny fist against his cheek. He tickled her tiny tummy, earning a gummy grin, the sight of which warmed his heart in spite of the uneasy feeling he felt growing stronger by the minute. 

“Mulder?” Scully called as he reached the door. “Call me if you find anything.”

Once Mulder left, Scully occupied herself with changing the baby and getting her ready for the day. When she was feeding her, Scully let her thoughts wander, reaching out to see if she could sense William's presence. She could feel him, could sense his presence tickling somewhere close enough to notice but far enough away that she couldn't tell much aside from the fact he was okay. With her free hand, Scully wiped away a tear that threatened to fall, thinking that if circumstances had changed, surely he'd let her know. Her focus shifted to the infant in her lap and she couldn't help but laugh at the quizzical look on the baby's face. She traced her brow line, watching as blue eyes that mirrored her own lit up in recognition, and for a second Scully wondered just how perceptive her child was. “Don't worry, baby. He’ll be home soon,” she whispered, despite the fact they were the only two people in the room. She thought of how protective William had been of his little sister, how what could've been an awkward situation was proving to be a heartwarming one instead, and she hoped not just for herself and for Mulder that she was telling the truth.

Scully heard the front door open and she jumped, hating the deflated feeling that flowed through her upon seeing Mulder walk into the house alone. “Nothing?”

Mulder shook his head, holding up a brown paper bag from one of the diners in town, resting his free hand against his hip. “I don't know if you're hungry, but I brought back breakfast. Have you--” he said, tapping his temple and raising an eyebrow.

“I tried,” Scully answered, shrugging her shoulders as she sighed in defeat. “He's safe, Mulder, but that's all I know. It just begs the question as to why he’d leave without telling us.”

“He’ll come back,” Mulder replied. “I drove up and down so many streets, searching for something, anything, but if he's okay like you say he is, he probably just needs some time.”

“Time for what?” Scully cried, regretting her outburst as Olivia started to fuss in her arms. “Can you take her for a minute? I’ll make some coffee and we can eat.”

Mulder handed her the bag from the diner, gratefully taking Olivia into his arms. He marveled at the way her little fists bunched up his shirt, not minding at all the tiny bit of drool that dribbled from her mouth and landed on his shoulder. He had missed out on so much when William was this small, so he tried drinking as much of the experience in as he could. “Let's go see if we can help mom, hmm?” 

Together, they settled at the table, not talking as Scully poured steaming mugs of coffee and unwrapped the breakfast sandwiches Mulder brought home. Dagoo padded into the room, and for a few minutes the only sound was him lapping up water from his bowl and Olivia babbling against Mulder's shoulder. 

“Scully, he’ll be--”

“Don't say something you have no way of verifying is true, Mulder,” Scully muttered, pushing her chair away from the table with more force than was strictly necessary. She grabbed the trash from breakfast and threw it in the bin before stepping to the sink, gripping the counter so hard her knuckles turned white. “He's our son. We’ve given him a place to stay, a home...I know that when all of this started we talked about how the day might come when he was ready to move on. Mulder, what if that's now? What if he--”

“It's not,” Mulder replied. He settled the baby against his hip and wrapped his other arm around Scully, pulling her close against him, just barely making out their reflections in the kitchen window. “I know, I know, I have no way if verifying that as the truth. You're right. And maybe all of this got to be too much for him, so he decided he wants his own space. But I have to believe that we’ve formed a solid enough relationship that he’d tell us if he was leaving for good,” he said, earning another gurgle from Olivia, at which he couldn't help but laugh. “Plus you've seen what he's like with her. I’d hope he'd have the decency not to leave her without saying goodbye.”

“I hope you're right,” Scully replied as she turned to face him, resting her cheek against his shoulder and reaching out to grab their daughter's hand. Together they swayed in silence, feeling William's presence (or lack thereof) nearly as strong as if he’d been standing there with them. 

They settled into some semblance of a typical Saturday; laundry was dealt with, chores were as well. The weather remained pleasant enough so Mulder busied himself with cleaning weeds out of the garden. They didn’t get many cars that traveled down their road, but both he and Scully would freeze, stopping whatever they were doing, only to hang their heads in disappoint when whoever it was happened to pass by.

Olivia was taking an afternoon nap and her parents were dozing off with a movie on screen when they heard the sound of tires crunching gravel. They exchanged a glance, both sitting up but willing themselves to remain seated. If they were to get anywhere with him, they knew they had to remain calm. 

As if he sensed the tension waiting for him inside, William opened the door slowly, cautiously poking his head around to peer inside before walking in, softly shutting it behind him. “Hey,” he called, offering a weak wave as he caught sight of them sitting on the couch. 

“Hi,” Scully replied, the word coming out perhaps a bit harsher than intended. She stood from her position on the couch, wiping her hands on her jeans. She pointed at the bags she saw in his hands, quirking a brow as she studied his casual stance. He appeared relaxed, but there was an anxiety about him that she couldn’t quite place. Discipline was an area of parenthood she and Mulder didn’t exactly have much experience in, so she wavered, curling and then uncurling her hand at her side. “You were out shopping?”

William blinked, perhaps only then grasping that she might have been upset. “Yeah, I guess. I just wanted to go for a drive, but then I...drove a bit longer. I got out, I shopped, and now I’m home. Is that cool?”

“Cool?” Mulder asked, raising from where he’d been sitting. He shifted his feet, knowing if he turned to his left he’d see Scully looking at him, willingly letting him have the floor with this one. “It didn’t occur to you to leave us a note?”

“I don’t know, I guess I didn’t think about it,” William replied, lowering his gaze to the ground. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you.”

Scully watched as he moved for the stairs, quickly stepping in his way. In sock feet, she was even shorter than him than she’d have been in shoes, but the slight movement was enough to stop him in his tracks. “Do you understand what I thought when I woke up and found out you weren’t here?”

“Yeah, I guess,” William replied with a shrug. He knew as well as she did the horrors they had been plagued with, and how close they came to losing everything. He rubbed at his forehead where the slightest hint of a scar remained, an echo of the bullet that by all accounts should’ve ended his life. “I’m okay, see?” he said, gesturing to himself. “I guess I could’ve said something, but I didn’t wanna worry you.”

“Worry me? Will, not knowing if we’d ever see you again? That’s what worried me. Even if things are safe now, even if we’re protected, you can’t just take off like that and not tell us where you’re going,” she insisted, watching out of the corner of her eye as Mulder inched closer, staying close enough to pipe in if needed but far enough away that she clearly now had the lead in this discussion. 

“I’m eighteen,” William replied, shaking his head. “I’m not some little kid. I can protect myself. You know that.”

“And did you? Protect yourself?” Mulder asked, almost hating how curious he was about it. He had seen first hand just what their son could do, a fact which scared him a little if he was honest, but through it all he had to believe that their son would only use those powers if it meant taking care of himself or others he loved. 

“I haven’t had to do...that…” William said, rubbing at his neck with the hand not holding the bags. “I haven’t made anyone see anything, not in a long time. But even if I did, or even if someone tried to hurt me or whatever? I’d find a way to let you know. I’d find a way to come back.”

Scully rubbed at the cross around her neck like a talisman, thinking of times in the past where Mulder himself had said variations of the same thing. “You don’t know that,” she replied, pausing only as she heard Olivia’s cries from upstairs. 

“I’ll go get her,” Mulder said, pressing a hand gently to her hip as he passed by on his way upstairs. 

William watched the way Scully wouldn’t budge, the way she crossed her arms and waited for an explanation, thinking she hadn’t resembled a mother more than when she did in that moment. The thought settled like a rock in his stomach and he turned for the kitchen, all but tossing the bags onto the table. He’d hoped on buying himself a few minutes of peace before confessing the true reason for his absence, but closed his eyes, gripping the chair as he felt her come up behind him. “So am I like...grounded or something? Even though I’m eighteen, so I don’t think you’re technically allowed to do that, but--”

“No, you’re not,” Scully replied, gripping his arm to urge him to look at her. Something in the air had shifted, and whatever anger and fear she’d felt at him taking off without her knowing was replaced with her need to protect him as best she could. “What happened, Will? Do you want to talk about it?”

“Like I told you, I went out for a drive, but then I just kept driving. That’s all,” he insisted, knowing as the words left his mouth that they wouldn’t be enough. The redheaded woman who had been part of his life for so long before he’d even known who she was, who was his Mother long before they’d officially met, was strong and nothing short of supportive. Their relationship hadn’t entirely been smooth sailing, but he figured he owed her the truth, even if it meant potentially making things uncomfortable. “Today would’ve been my dad’s birthday, okay? I didn’t realize that until I picked up my phone this morning, and I just...I just needed some time. So I started driving, but by the time I realized how far I’d gone, I figured you guys were already up and realized I was gone, so maybe I just wanted to buy myself some more time before I came back. I dunno. I found this store, and I just walked around. I just...I just wanted--”

“Oh honey, I’m so sorry,” Scully said, watching as he stared at the worn out grain of the table rather than looking at her. Slowly, she reached her arms out, sighing in relief as he let her pull him into a hug. “I know we can’t replace what they were to you, okay? I know that. They were your parents. They loved you,” she continued, her voice wavering just slightly. As much as she hated giving him up and as jealous as she might have been of the time the Van De Kamps had gotten with him that they didn’t, she was grateful that they’d given him some semblance of a normal life, at least as much as they could considering the circumstances. 

William sighed, pulling away so he could look at her, hoping he could make her understand. “We just never really talked about it, you know? I didn’t want to make things weird or whatever, I guess. They were my parents, but you guys are, too. “

Scully opened her mouth to reply but closed it again when she heard commotion coming from the stairs. She watched as Mulder rounded the corner with a clearly wide awake baby in his arms. “She gave up on her nap, huh?”

“What gave it away?” Mulder asked, shifting his gaze between her and William, trying to gauge the mood of the room. “Everything okay in here?”

“You could say that,” Scully replied, smiling softly as she stepped forward to take the baby from him. If William didn't explain where he’d been to Mulder, she'd find the time to quietly tell him later, but for now she was content to have both of her children under one roof. 

“So, uh, now that her highness is up,” William said, picking up one of the bags he'd put on the table. “I wanna show you one of the things I bought. Maybe you’ll hate it, but I saw it and figured it was something I had to get her.”

“You got her a present?” Scully asked, not altogether surprised, but still taken back by how thoughtful he could be. 

William reached into the bag, pulling out a pale purple onesie, feeling the slightest bit cautious as he turned it around for them to see the gray alien with a pink bow sitting haphazardly atop it's head on the front, with it's hand in the shape of a peace sign. 

“That...is perfect,” Mulder said, clapping his hands together. It warmed his heart, picturing their son standing in the baby section of some store and buying something for his sister. They'd come a long way in a seemingly short amount of time, and while he didn't yet know the details as to why William had taken off, he had his suspicions, but seeing Scully more relaxed about the situation was enough to put him at ease. 

“I don't know if it's the right size, and Livvie doesn't have to wear it in public or anything, but--”

“It's perfect,” Scully replied, earning surprises glances from both men in the room.

Before she could say anything else, Olivia started babbling, clapping her hands together as if she sensed the gift was for her. She held her arms out towards William, opening her tiny fists in a feeble attempt to urge him closer. She smacked her lips together a few times, little more than baby babble coming from her mouth, until the clear sound of “Bub!” earned a look of surprise from the object of her attention.

“Did she just--” William said, pointing at her as he looked to Scully, who looked just as surprised as he was at the outburst. “Bub? You're talking to me?”

“Bub,” Olivia repeated, clearly pleased with the attention she was getting. She waved her arms towards him, not stopping until he took her from Scully's arms. She clapped one sticky hand on either side of his face, squishing her nose to his. “Bub?”

“Yeah, Liv. Bub,” William replied, unable to say much else. The day had been an emotional whirlwind, but the fact Olivia was a light in the middle of it all made him happier than he'd care to admit.

“You buy one outfit for her, and suddenly she starts talking for you. I guess you're the new favorite,” Mulder mused, only pretending to be offended. 

“I think we can live with that, Mulder,” Scully replied, resting a hand on his back, watching as Olivia was apparently content in her brother's arms. William seemed lighter than he did when he came into the house, momentarily buoyed by his sister's infatuation with him. Still, she knew from the loss of her own parents that the day couldn't rest easy on his shoulders, so she was glad the baby provided some semblance of happiness. Her focus was distracted as William shifted away from the table and she spotted something red peeking out from one of the bags.

William followed her gaze, laughing softly to himself as he pushed it to the side. “I wanted to make a cake, but there was a recipe...I couldn't remember it. Store bought is fine,” he mumbled, embarrassed for a moment at having been caught.

There were still parts of his history that William held back, both out of self preservation and a need to keep something that was his own. It was sad in a way, a phantom limb that would never entirely go away, but it was something Scully couldn't fault him for. Still, she appreciated the pieces of his past he'd trusted them with, and in a way she viewed the cake for his dad's birthday as one of them. Cautiously, she peered into the bag, eyeing the boxed cake mix, and she shrugged. “Chocolate? You're right. Store bought is fine, but my mother has a recipe for a chocolate cake I think you’ll like better. I’m pretty sure we have everything I’d need to make it,” she said, realizing after she'd offered that she might have crossed some invisible line. “If that's okay?”

“Yeah,” William replied, carefully shifting his sister from one side to the other. He held the onesie he'd bought her up and smiled weakly. “I’m gonna go put this away, and then I can come back to help.”

Mulder waited until William and the baby were out of earshot to turn his attention back to Scully, jerking his thumb over his shoulder before gesturing to her. “Am I missing something here?”

“It’s…” Scully replied, hesitating as she shook her head. It was something he deserved to know, but she also wanted William to have the chance to explain if he wanted to. “I’ll explain later,” she said, hoping that for now it would suffice.

Mulder nodded, getting the impression that there was indeed more to the story but trusting that he’d know in time. When William returned with the baby, he took her from him, choosing to make his way back into the living room, busying himself elsewhere while Scully and William set out about making the cake. 

“So, uh,” William said, clearing his throat as he reached for a bowl on a shelf just out of her reach. He tilted his head a little, cautious, and sighed. “You’re really not mad?”

There was a part of her that wanted to say she was mad, that she was upset, but Scully also knew that if she wanted communication to work with him at all, lashing out wasn’t exactly the way to do it. She opened a container of flour, leveling out a scoop and emptying it into the bowl before turning to look at him. “I want you to trust us,” she insisted, hoping it was a good choice of words. “You mentioned before that you’re eighteen now, and you are. And if the time comes when you feel like you want to move out, or if you need some space, we’ll be ready and willing to help you, but you’ve got to meet us halfway. Tell us where you’re going. Okay?” she asked, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw him nod.

The day had started off as a sad one for him, and while no amount of chocolate cake or affection from his new sibling would fully distract him from that, William was glad that he had the opportunity to share the day with family, no matter how strange the idea still seemed. There were still days when he thought about running, still stretches of time when all he wanted was to be by himself or away from others, but he had a home with them, so the least he owed her was some semblance of trust in knowing that he’d tell her if and when he ever felt like leaving. He heard the baby giggling from the other room and couldn’t help thinking that any such moment wouldn’t come any time soon. “Yes,” he said, passing her the eggs and watching as she cracked one onto the bowl. “I can do that.”


End file.
